Self-serving dining-table.



A. s. WILLIAMS.

SELF SERVING DINING TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 190B.

PatentedDeG. 28, 1909.

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ALONZO S. WILLIAMS, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

SELF-SERVING DINING-TABLE.

Specication of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 2S, 1909.

Application led July 10, 1908. Serial No. 442,981.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, ALONZO S. WILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Self-Serving Dining- Tables, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved self-serving dining table and consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved table of this class with a central revoluble portion on which the various dishes are placed and with independently operable means at the various sides of the table whereby a person seated at any side of the table may be enabled to rotate said revoluble central portion and hence readily obtain access to any of the dishes at will.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the centralrevoluble portion of the table top removed and showing the subjacent mechanism. F ig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on a plane intersecting the shaft of one of the actuating and supporting rollers. Fig. 1 is a similar view on a plane passing through the center of the table. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views.

The top 1 of my improved table is here shown as square. It may be of any suitable shape and of any suitable size. Said table top is provided with a central circular opening 2 in which is placed a circular central revoluble table top portion 3 which when the table is in use is employed for the reception of all of the different dishes constituting the meal. The upper ends of the table legs t are connected together by bars or boards 5, two of which are connected together by bars or boards 6, said bars or boards being connected by bars or boards 7. Said bars or boards 5, 6, 7, are provided in their upper sides at points which are radial with respect to the center of the revoluble portion 3 of the table top with vertical recesses 8 in vthe vertical sides of which are vertical tongues 9. Blocks 10 are placed in said recesses and provided with vertical grooves 11 in their side edges into which the tongues 9 project and in threaded openings in the lower sides of said bars or boards 5, 6, and 7 are adjusting screws 12 which bear against the under sides of said blocks 10. Said blocks 10 form bearings for shafts 13 which are radially disposed with reference to the central portion of the table top and each of the said shafts, which extend to the various sides of the table and under the table top, is pro-y vided at its outer end with a hand or crank wheel 14; and at its inner end with a supporting and actuating roller or disk 15. rThe revoluble central portion of the table top has a supporting pivot 16 and also a bearing 17 which is preferably and is here shown as a ball bearing.

The revoluble portion 8 of the table top bears on the peripheries of the rollers or disks 15 and the frictional contact between said revoluble portion of the table top and said rollers or disks is such that when any one of the rollers or disks is rotated by means of its hand crank or wheel 14 by a person at one side of the table, the revoluble portion 3 of the table top is caused to turn so as to bring in succession all of the dishes thereon in front of such person and thence enable him to help himself without employing a waiter or disturbing any of the other occupants of the table. The friction between the revoluble portion of the table top and the actuating supporting rollers or disks 15 may be varied as may be required by means of the screws 12 and the vertically adjustable bearing blocks which are supported thereby and by appropriately adjusting such blocks, together with the said rollers or disks and the shafts of such rollers or disks, the revoluble central portion of the table top may be 'at all times keptl perfectly level.

`What I claim as new is The herein described table having a xed top provided with a. central opening, and a frame having inner and outer bars, the former under said opening and the latter under the fixed top, a revoluble top member pivotally mounted on said frame, operating in the opening of and lying in common plane with the fixed top, said inner and outer bars having vertical guideways and a vertical adjusting screw at the lowerend of each guideway, bearings in the said guideways, adjustably Vertical therein by the said adjusting screws, and horizontal radially disposed shafts un der the xed table top and revoluble niember, each of said shafts being mounted in a pair of said bearings, having a vertically disposed friction wheel bearing under the revoluble member of the table top, and means whereby said shaft may be rotated.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALONZO S. VILLIAMS. fitnesses JOHN S. VHEELER, THos. S. JOUQHIN. 

